It’s the last hint of summertime and my husband Ken and I have been looking at some weekend get-away vacation spots like Sequoia National Park. It’s just a four-hour drive north from where we live. I tell you, when I get up there I feel so small when I sit at the base of one of those towering, ancient trees. Some are more than 300 feet tall – that’s the size of a 30-story building. I am told that sequoia trees have relatively shallow root systems for as tall as they are. This is why you don’t see sequoias standing alone; they stand in groves. Isn’t that interesting? God has designed that they should stand in groves. They are not the stand-alone type of tree. Think of it, you’ve never seen a sequoia growing by itself, they grow in groves -- sequoia groves. And here’s why…
The roots of sequoia trees entwine. And that intertwining, that added support, prevents winds from uprooting any one tree. Separate and standing apart from all the rest, a sequoia wouldn’t last very long. With its shallow roots and great height, it would fall in the first harsh wind that blows against the Sierra Mountains in the winter.
Now, friend, we can learn a lot from that tree. I mean, individually we might think we look strong; we might think we’re independent, we’re stand-alone mavericks, but any thinking Christian knows he can’t survive apart from the body of Christ. When bitter winds of adversity blow, we need support. God engineered us so that we require the intertwining of genuine give-and-take fellowship. Even Jesus needed this. On the last night of his life when the storms of devilish opposition began howling all around him, he asked for help. In Matthew 26:38 Jesus asks His friends, “Stay here and keep watch with me.” If Jesus sought support in the midst of a trial, how much more do we need our brothers and sisters in hard times!
First Thessalonians 5 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing… And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.” Who is timid around you? Who is the friend who is weak? Well, this is what you can do today. Create a “sequoia grove” around that special person you know who’s getting blown over by hard times. That person shouldn’t be alone. He shouldn’t be by himself. It’s why God created spiritual community. You, my friend, are part of a grove of sequoias, so this week, think of a creative way you can minister to that family member, or that person at church who just got bad news, or your neighbor or coworker who needs support. If Jesus could ask for help… that should show us how important giving help and support really is. Oh, by the way, if you’re the one needing help… look for a grove you can grow in, okay?!
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends